The Capitans
The Capitans are a slaving group in Sydney, Australia, operating out of the Pre-War Bare Island Fort. Following a long legacy of slaving, the group has recently changed drastically, shedding the wild, raider like behaviours in favour of cool professionalism. Since their foundation in 2279, they have become highly successful, and have connections to the major settlements and groups around Sydney. History Slaving in the South East The Capitans arose from a conglomerate of a series of bands of slavers infesting the South-East of Sydney, from Banksmeadow to South Coogee to Little Bay. The area had long been a hive of raiding and slaving, with the gangs present capturing whoever they could and selling them to whoever would buy. Hundreds of small slaving groups existed, all operating and competing within the same area. Like a swarm of biblical locusts, slavers would descend on any real civilisation in the area, stripping it of weapons and ammunition, food and clean water, and inhabitants. Chem-use amongst the gangs was rife, as was disease and radiation poisoning. In slow times, slavers survived only on Pre-War food, dirty water, and insect meat. However, as the population of slavers, raiders and slaves grew, the number of scavengers and settlers decreased. Anything of value in the area had long since bee picked clean, and the slavers and raiders put off new settlers. Settlements near the area were either wiped out or toughened their defences enough to deter raiders and slavers. This lack of immigration saw a collapse of the fragile food chain in the area. Raiders and Slavers turned on each other, wiping one another out. At the start of the 2260s, it was estimated that hundreds of Raiders and Slavers inhabited the South East. By the mid-2270s, less than 100 inhabited the region. The Rise of Claude The rise of Claude changed this. Born in the late 2230s, Claude was a charismatic and successful businessman, with a knack for convincing others to agree. By 20, he had captured dozens of settlers and scavengers using tricks and traps. By 25, he had struck permanent deals with caravans, ensuring continued profit for his gang. By 30, he was considered to be the most successful (and oldest) slaver in the South East. Claude's success can be traced back to a stroke of luck as a child. Seeing the value in learning to read, he taught himself well enough to get by. When he was 14, Claude stumbled across a book entitled "How to be the Best Boss!" Though old, musty and full of seemingly gibberish words, Claude was able to pick up the messages of the book and apply them to the running of his slaving group. Claude engaged in team-building exercises with his gang, working to build a sense of community between the members. He worked to maintain the market and attempted to establish a monopoly. He worked to improve the outside view of his company, cultivating the links with outside parties and working on "Branding". This culminated in the incorporation of all the remaining slavers and raiders under Claude's leadership. With a large labour force, yet a small market and resource pool, Claude had to work quickly if he wished to maintain group cohesiveness. The nearby 19th-century fort on Bare Island had all the necessary elements for a successful base. Pre-War docks existed nearby, allowing access to Botany Bay. The fort, while in poor condition now, was well maintained and well built before the war, and provided significant security to its inhabitants. The Mirelurks and radroaches were cleared out in 2278, and the slavers moved in in 2279. Birth of the Capitans Claude identified the primary failures of previous slavers as their disorganisation, their opportunism and their branding. He eliminated the disorganisation, bringing all slavers together under his strong leadership. However, their opportunistic trading and poor outside image could not be so easily rectified. To create their new image, Claude drew inspiration from the closest source: Bare Island Fort. Before the War, the Fort had been home to a historic museum, particularly focused on the Pre-Napoleon colonial French. As such, the slavers styled themselves after the French, adopting the name of the French dynasty as their own, taking the costumes an uniforms on display as inspiration for their own outfits and uniforms. Claude put the slavers under his command hard at work. While some continued to venture out in search of captives, others worked on the restoration of the fort. Psycho-pumping raiders swapped their flamers for blowtorches, Med-X loving junkies turning in their syringes for sewing needles and Buffout lovers put down their pill bottles in favour of hammers and wood. Significant resources were spent repairing a Pre-War fishing vessel to capture greater numbers of slaves from further away. Progress on the Loius was rapid and finished in the September of 2279. Restoration of the fort, as well as the construction of the necessary infrastructure for holding slaves, finished in December. On December 16th, 2279, The Capitans opened it's doors to traders, selling fine quality "Labourers" to the distinguishing customer. A Successful Company Claude proved a shrewd leader as well as a competent businessman. Deals were struck with local industrial centres to provide labourers and with settlements and major caravans to provide secretaries and caravan hands. Even the distinguished caravaneers from the Coathanger made the dangerous journey south to take their pick of the "Fresh Meat". Profits were not only put into improved holding facilities and security but healthcare, recreation and fresh foods. Claude made sure to cultivate a friendly atmosphere between the slavers, building a community within the organisation. Raiding gangs would collapse due to infighting, bringing otherwise successful gangs to ruin. The Capitans were not going to fail in this way. Addicts and junkies were weened off their chems, helping them break away from the raider lifestyle. Over time, the Capitans became just another group of traders in Sydney, dealing in captured goods and people. Part of maintaining their image, the Capitans do not capture anyone from Sydney. Instead, slaves are captured far south or north and brought back to the Market at the Fort onboard the Louis. The ship can carry almost 40 slaves in relative comfort and usually travels for one to two months before returning. Slaves sold by the Capitans are captured from numerous locations along the New South Wales coastline, ranging from Kiama to Newcastle. Relationships As one of the prime slaving companies in Sydney, the Capitans have numerous business relations and conflicts with the other factions in Sydney. From industrial powerhouses in demand of slaves to "goody two shoes" trying to "boost their karma", the Capitans have traded or fought with them all. The Manufactory The Manufactory is one of the largest and most successful industrial settlements in the Post-War Sydney wasteland. To feed its mills, labour is constantly in demand. As such, the leader of the settlement, Joseph Clark, signed a treaty with the Capitans in April of 2271. This treaty grants the Capitans access to spare parts and construction materials from the Manufactory in exchange for giving them first pick of slaves and providing a total of 70 slaves a year. Category:Slavers Category:Groups Category:Caravan Companies Category:New South Wales